Distant Lover
by Valkyrie Prinny
Summary: Wistful thoughts and emotions accumulated in single sheet of paper to form a letter, yet it it was never sent. But things in this world have more than one way of getting around, as one Otome in particular is about to see.
1. Rekindled Hope

**Distant Lover**

**Act one**

**It's that time again, doods! Time for more of the MaiNats goodness, but this time it'll carry quite a bonus. This fic takes place four months after the events in Mai Otome Zwei and will feature two not so important OC's so please bear with me. I was playing around with the idea for this fic when I was writing Mai Wayward Heart, again it took me a while** **before I found a way to link everything together. I just have KOTOKO songs to thank for helping me get ideas in my head, Megami-sama bless her soul. She just auto-wins...okay I'm kinda straying** **away. Hope you enjoy and I'll see to it that I update as soon as possible. Also, I have an extreme need for a beta for this fic so please contact me in any way. Also the full summary is in my profile.  
**

**There is no way I own Mai Otome, if I did MaiNats would be quite canon  
**

* * *

It was a bright afternoon in the black valley with the sun mercilessly shining down on those below it. Unfortunately for the people of the black valley, the day could not be enjoyed to its fullest seeing as the area was in middle of a heat wave and there were many things to do for its inhabitants outside in said heat wave. Especially for one particular redhead as she stood in front of the counter idly gazing at the sky, deep in her wistful thoughts while Mikoto and Arika were quickly devouring their third helping of ramen. She currently held a letter inside a sealed envelope in her hand that seemed to ready to be delivered at any time, that very same hand was trembling with fear and resolve. Suddenly a pair of hands obstructed her sight and the redhead snapped out of her train of thought to see that the two had long finished their ramen; looking at her inquisitively. 

"Mai-san, what's wrong. You've had that look on your face the whole time I was here and you look distracted with something." Arika asked.

"Don't worry, Arika. It's nothing you need to be concerned about, I was just thinking of something I might do in the future." answered Mai.

"Are you sure, Mai? You know I'm always willing to help you with anything, you just need to ask me at any time." Mikoto spoke

Mai giggled before making any sort of reply, "I'm sure Mikoto. Now if you two will excuse me, I need to wash dishes since it seems things are going to be slow for a short time." As Mai turned and walked away, the redhead did not realize that she had left the letter on the counter in front of Arika and Mikoto. The two aforementioned girls gazed at what was left on the counter before Arika turned it over to find out (in the most elegant handwriting she had seen in her life) that it was meant for only one woman and one woman only. That particular woman was the current principal of Garderobe academy, Natsuki Kruger. Naturally, the only thing it did for Arika was raise more questions in her mind. Mikoto looked at the Meister Otome for a short time before taking the envelope off the counter and handing it to her. Said Otome looked at the letter and then looked at the Nekogami before blinking several times in confusion.

"Arika, take that letter with you. If Mai was writing that letter to Natsuki, then it must be important in some way. " Mikoto explained

"Arika-onee sama, you around here?" A feminine voice called out from the distance.

As soon as the voice was heard the two turned to look at a moderately tall girl with dark violet hair that easily reached her thighs, cinnamon brown eyes, and currently carrying a pool stick was slowly approaching them. On a closer inspection, she had two small moles below her left eye and wore a uniform meant for those of the pearl class.

"I'm over here, Melissa-chan!" she answered

"Arika-onee sama, we need to head back to Windbloom soon. You have duties waiting for you back at the castle, not to mention Queen Mashiro herself! Not to mention that I need to be back in time for the exams or any chance I had of becoming a Meister Otome will be completely fucked! Are you done here or do I have to wait even longer!?" Melissa fumed

"Calm down, Melissa-chan, I was just about to leave. It's just that Mikoto was about to give me something to deliver to the Principal."

"All right, but make it quick Arika-onee sama. I have precious liquor sitting somewhere hidden in my room waiting to be consumed if Miss Maria hasn't found it by now! Actually I don't even want think of what would happen if she found it already; I don't want to go through Yukariko-sensei's lecture again! Please hurry, Arika-onee sama!" Melissa complained while shaking her furiously

"But what about Mai-san, I need to let her know that I'm taking the letter."

"Arika, go on ahead. I'll let her know when she's not busy." Mikoto interrupted

"Are you sure?"

"Arika!" Melissa yelled

"Looks like I have to get going, Mikoto. But don't worry, I'll make sure that letter gets to the principal safely without any problems, you can count on me! Melissa-chan, since you're in such a hurry let's go find Sara-san and get out of here."

_Garderobe Academy_

_ The skies were clear and the full moon was just as bright as ever when a certain blue haired woman was making her way to her room. Just as Natsuki was about to open the door, a sudden thought came into her mind and she looked up into the sky with a delighted look on her face. She turned her attention back to the door as she opened it and walked inside to see that her actual bedroom had a faint light coming out. Curious about it, (also being the fact that it was an unlawful entry in Garderobe of all places)__ she slowly crept up to the bedroom door. She was now just noticing that the smell of cinnamon lingered in the air and became stronger the closer she was to said room. Sighing, she slowly turned the knob and opened the door revealing the most beautiful sight her eyes had ever come across._

_"You're finally here, Natsuki. I was a little lonely waiting for you all this time." Mai spoke in an unusually seductive tone. "You look a bit worn down to me. Just come here, lay down, and I'll help you relax."  
_

_That very sight was one Mai Tokiha lying on her bed (which seemed more than capable of accommodating more than one person) completely nude in a very appealing position with a sultry smile on her face; the dim glow of the scented candles scattered throughout the room only seemed to enhance the sight of the beauty that was before her. On a closer inspection the bed itself was also different from it's usual appearance; namely the dark blue satin that made up the sheets along with the pillow covers and the numerous pink rose petals scattered around said bed. Natsuki's heart raced as she__ tossed her coat off to the side and __ nervously advanced towards her bed. Just when she had sat down on the edge of the bed, a pair of slender arms had wrapped themselves around her waist. Startled, Natsuki turned to look at Mai before her eyes became locked with those of her closest friend. Their faces drifted towards each other slowly until their lips met in a gentle yet passionate kiss. While Natsuki lost herself in the kiss, Mai's hands journeyed towards the other woman's top and slowly began to relieve her of such a currently troublesome garment. Their lips parted slowly, moisture connecting them briefly just before the blue haired woman was relieved of her top and Mai gently pinned her down to the bed. Natsuki reached out, cupping the redheaded woman's cheek before gazing into her eyes and letting out a small but genuine smile._

_"Mai, you were always such a beautiful woman. Why did it take me this long to notice that?" _

_The redhead just smiled before moving to the nape of other woman's neck, lightly kissing her neck while taking in the sweet scent of her hair. Slowly kissing her way down the long haired woman's body, she eventually reached another troublesome garment. Slowly Mai relieved her of said pants along with a few other articles of clothing before gazing into her eyes._

_ "Look at yourself Natsuki, even after this much time you still manage to draw me to you. Those legs, your hair, and __those luscious lips of yours__; they just make me want you even more." Their eyes softened just as Mai took Natsuki's hand and placed it over her chest. "Feel this Natsuki, this is how my heart is every time I'm around you. I want to know how..." The buxom woman was interrupted by Natsuki pulling her down until she could feel her chest pressing against the other woman's and suddenly felt the sensation of the blue haired woman's lips meeting hers. Hands roamed while lips met, at first the two were kissing for the caresses of each others bodies but now...'_

"Natsuki."

"Natsuki."

"Natsuki!"

"Wake up, Natsuki!"

As soon as she heard a familiar voice, her head suddenly darted upwards. As her eyes started to open, she noticed that it was not nighttime and she was not in her room but still in her office in what seemed the afternoon. Upon further inspection, it seemed that Shizuru, Miss Maria, and Yoko were in the room. Sighing in disappointment, Natsuki shook her head before she picked up a glass of water that was conveniently placed near her and took a long swig before setting it back down to it's previous spot.

"This is very unbecoming of someone of your position, see to it that it does not happen again."

"Understood, Miss Maria." Natsuki replied

"Have Sara and the others returned from the Black Valley?"

"No, but they should be due back here at any minute, assuming if they maintain their current speed." Youko answered

"I would also like to know who allowed Melissa Yasakani to leave the grounds with Arika?"

"Sara-san requested to have Melissa accompany her and Arika to the Black Valley and I pulled her out for that purpose. You were asleep at the time so..." Shizuru answered.

Suddenly a knock on the door was heard and suddenly the door was kicked open. Everyone in the room sighed knowing it could only be one person who would do something like this.

"Melissa Yasakani, you must open the door properly!" Miss Maria spoke with an authoritative tone.

"Gomen Miss Maria, but the door was stuck. Hasn't it been fixed already?" Melissa replied

"Melissa-chan, just give the report to the Principal already!"

"All right, all right Arika-onee sama, keep your dress on." Melissa complained before focusing her attention back to the principal. "The Black Valley shows no signs of conflict whatsoever, this was also confirmed by the Fire Stirring Ruby Mai Tokiha as well. On another note, I managed to run into my contact and apparently he managed to find something of importance to Garderobe."

"Meaning..."

"Meaning that he wants to meet with you in the Black Valley, under one condition." Melissa clarified

'Who does he think he is giving me a condition, doesn't he realize who I am and how much power someone of my position holds!? Still I should...' The blue haired woman pondered

"It isn't anything significant, he just wants you bring Shizuru-onee sama along with you for good measure. Also from what he told me, I'm supposed to guide you to where he's staying." The violet haired girl explained.

"I'll go along with this, from our past experiences with him he hasn't lied to us once. But our meetings with him aren't very frequent, yet he wanders the world and always seems to finding items of actual value to Garderobe and the Aswad. Melissa, is he giving us a time frame as usual or is he giving us the luxury of time for the first time in a while?"

"For once, he's actually giving you the choice of when to meet him. Apparently he finally has the luxury of waiting. Principal, have exams started yet? I have to take them again for some unknown reason."

"For what reason, Melissa Yasakani? I seem to remember you passing the exam without any problem." Miss Maria questioned

"I received some sort of letter two weeks ago saying that I had to retake my exam for undisclosed reasons, Miss Maria." Melissa explained

"Those letters were counterfeit, Melissa. That and I wouldn't want to lose such a cute Meister Otome like you." Shizuru remarked playfully

The violet haired girl blushed at the violet eyed woman's comment before she realized what was said just now. "Shizuru-onee sama, you mean to tell me that I made Sara-san and Arika-onee sama come back early for nothing."

"Pretty much." Shizuru replied after taking a drink from her glass

"I'm going to need a drink after this..." She muttered under her breath

"Sorry Melissa, but you shouldn't be drinking at your age. Maybe I need to discipline you..." Shizuru commented

Melissa felt the blood rushing to her face before turning to Arika "Uhh Arika-onee sama, weren't you supposed to deliver something to the principal as soon as you got here?" Arika nodded in response, walked over to Natsuki's desk, and quickly placed the letter in front of her.

"Arika?" Natsuki spoke

" I don't really know what's inside but I do know it's from Mai-san. If it means anything, I saw her holding onto it the entire time I was with her." said Arika

She nodded before opening the envelope and taking the letter out to read it. Her eyes captured the elegant handwriting word for word, slowly going through wide range of emotions as she went. Once Natsuki had finished it, the expression in her eyes fully betrayed her as she started reading it a second time...

**_ Natsuki,_**

**_ If you are reading this letter, then it has somehow managed to leave my hands and end up in yours. The truth about this letter is that I was never going to send it you, I just wanted sort out my feelings and I thought that this would be the best way to do it. I would like to say that whatever is in this letter is completely true and the words came straight from my heart.  
_**

**_ It seems like it wasn't too long ago when I decided to take the ruby and run away after graduation. To be honest, the thought of leaving you behind knowing that I might never see you again was almost too much to take. I wanted to take you with me and run away together; not caring about what was going to happen the next day or the next month. The first few nights were hard knowing that I was far away from the person I cared about the most, I cried myself to sleep. Now that I look back, I can say that the nightmares I started having a month and a half before graduation was one of the main reasons why I ran away. I know how hard you tried to cure me of those nightmares I was having back then, it hurt me so much to make you worry like that and there wasn't anything I could do to help. I came to realize several things the week before graduation and they slowly started piling up on me, but I tried not to make you worry since you had other things on your mind. After the graduation ceremony had finished, I couldn't take all this pressure anymore. I needed to talk to you and I couldn't find you no matter where I looked, in the end I decided to run away from it all. It was the hardest decision I ever made in my life and my heart shattered because I had to leave you behind._**

**_ In a way, the legends about me are true. I really was torn between dreams and love, but everyone assumes that the one I loved was some man. It was never true, the one I loved was trying to become an Otome as well. She was a very beautiful and kind woman from the first time I met her to the day I saw her again. _**

**_Natsuki, the Otome I loved with everything my heart could give was you all along. I loved the way you spoke to me, the way your lips felt when they touched mine, the way you would put your arms around me, the scent of your hair, I just loved everything about you. There hasn't been a single day where I haven't thought of you, the day when I saw you again was one of the happiest days of my life. All you did was become even sexier in my eyes, I just wanted to take you into my arms at that moment and then carry you back the rest of the way. If you ever want to talk about this more, I' ll be waiting for you in the Black Valley._**

**_ -Mai_**

**_  
_**At this point Natsuki was standing and was in a state of disbelief at what she just read. Her hands trembled and body shook before she neatly folded the letter and stuffed it into her pocket.

"Shizuru, Melissa, you have an hour to prepare. We're going to the Black Valley!"

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**Chapter End**

**Please read and review or Pearls will come after you. Like I said I'll see to it that I update as soon as possible. Again, I need someone to edit my stuff.  
**


	2. Midnight Encounter

**Distant Lover**

**Act Two**

**Here it is, the second chapter of Distant Lover. I was a bit sidetracked when my friend decided to wave several games in face and trade them to me; I still haven't beaten them. I was also having a bit of trouble with the wording as always. Also finally starting to read Hayate No Gotoku got sidetracked as well. I just hope I have an easier time when writing chapter three. I am still in need of a beta, and constructive criticism is highly appreciated.**

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**"**Melissa, Shizuru the both of you have an hour to prepare. Our destination will be the Black Valley. Melissa, if it is possible could you bring all your alcohol with us. I already know that you have several caches on academy grounds and if you lead us to them I'll let it slide, refusal will lead you to having to retake the exam and if you fail..."

"Alright, alright, I'll lead you to my liquor stashes! I really don't want to take that exam again, besides I can always get more booze at the Black Valley." Melissa replied

The violet haired girl turned to walk away before someone's hand had grabbed her shoulder, effectively halting her movements. "Melissa-san, we would like it if you would lead us to them now. Unless you want to be spanked for being a bad girl." Shizuru commented playfully

Chills traveled down her spine upon hearing Shizuru utter that sentence. Feeling as if she had no choice, Melissa nodded and pointed at the door. "F-f-follow me, Shizuru-onee sama! But could you please take your hand off my shoulder?"

"Why Melissa-san, are you afraid of it?" Shizuru asked jokingly

Just as the violet haired girl was about to respond the door opened to reveal Nao standing at the doorway. "Melissa, don't tell me you got caught again? Now how am I going to get drinks for my next party." Nao chided

"They were already on to me, even if we had the party it probably would have been crashed anyway. I'll bring back some of the good stuff from the Black Valley since I'm heading there again, don't worry. Although it may take me while since I don't know for how long I'll be gone."

The redhead sighed at the response that the violet haired girl had given before turning to Arika. "How's Nina coping with being an Otome again, Queen Mashiro's second otome at that."

"Nina-chan is doing fine, but she keeps worrying about Sergay most of the time. Especially since he's starting to get his memories back and she keeps following him around like some crazed stalker without their daily medication. She also keeps staring at me and Mashiro, it's kinda creepy." Arika responded

"Maybe Nina wants to get in on the hot and steamy action that you and Mashiro-sama seem to be having lately." Nao said, taking the proverbial stab at Arika.

"It's not like that, Nao-senpai!"

"Then why was Queen Mashiro all over you, trying to get in your pants when the four of us played a drinking game that night?"

"Probably because Mashiro-chan was really drunk and she always acts like that when she's that drunk, you really shouldn't jump to conclusions Nao-senpai." Arika chided

"Arika, touch me! Just pretend that there's nobody else in the room and ravage me, my faithful Otome!" Nao teased in her best impression of Mashiro.

"Nao-senpai!"

"Arika-san, I didn't know you were such a naughty girl. Maybe I can teach you a few things in my spare time..." Shizuru remarked

"Shizuru!"

"Natsuki, Arika-san needs to know about these kind of things. She's growing up and exploring other women's bodies; maybe I can multitask and teach both Melissa and Arika a thing or two." Shizuru commented leaving both Melissa and Natsuki with their jaws hanging.

"Shizuru-onee sama, t-t-t-thanks for the offer but I'm fine. Right now, I really don't need any advice." pleaded Melissa

"Are you..."

"Can we stop with this perverted discussion?! Let's just go find Melissa's alcohol before I go insane from all of these innuendos!" Natsuki shouted, cutting into the conversation

"That's a good idea, how about we do that. I'll even lead the way to every single spot where I have the booze hidden." Melissa spoke, hoping to end the conversation before things became serious.

"Natsuki-onee sama, is it that you want to see Mai-onee sama and you're just using this as an excuse to meet her as soon as possible. Maybe you want to get in her pants again or do you want her heart to be yours..." Sara inquired

"You too, Sara!" Natsuki replied as her face slowly became red

"So even the dignified Principal of Garderobe Academy has her own dirty little secrets, this should be really interesting."

"Is everyone going to stand there idly or should I have Melissa Yasakani escort me to her caches?" Miss Maria asked.

"I'll go with you, Miss Maria. I need to get away from them before I lose my mind trying to argue with them. Care to lead the way Melissa?"

"If it means getting out of this conversation, gladly. Follow me on the road to sanity!" Exclaimed the violet haired Otome as the three walked out of the room.

* * *

_Black Valley_

It was a cold windy afternoon with the sun obscured by a cloud filled sky. The scenery was close to silent with the exception of the occasional crashing wave and the faint sound of footsteps.

A smiling Mai was sitting near the edge of a cliff, gazing at the horizon. She let out a yawn as she rose to her feet and stretched. Just as the redhead was about to turn around, a snapping sound reached her ears. She quickly turned around only to find nothing but a trail of footprints letting out a sigh, Mai ran into the wooded area and began her pursuit.

A cloaked figure sprinted through the woods with an ignited pipe in his mouth, occasionally stopping to look around. As he ran, he suddenly saw a set of footprints along with a torn sleeve and immediately came to a stop. The cloaked figure took off his hood to reveal a young man with brown eyes and long black hair.

"I have you now, you thieving bitch. It's just a matter of time before I catch you and get back what you stole from me..." Muttered the black haired teen before taking a drag from his pipe. He stood up and looked behind him before running after his target.

* * *

_Black Valley: Village Streets_

The sun was slowly but surely setting and hues of of violet and orange painted the sky along with the occasional colors of a bird. Usually it was time for most of the activity in the village to start winding down were it not for one person. People stood and stared at a weary and a rather paranoid Tomoe holding a platinum locket with a silver chain. Said traitorous wench looked at the ever growing crowd before running away from the crowd in fear. Right as Tomoe was about to round the corner, a fist quickly collided with her face.

"Got you, bitch! Did you actually think you were going to get away with stealing my locket?!" Shouted the black haired teen as he came into view. On a closer inspection he was no longer wearing the cloak and was wearing a simple outfit consisting of blue pants, a violet hat, a violet sleeveless shirt, and black shoes. He walked over to the turquoise haired girl right as she got to her feet, took hold of her shoulder, and delivered a well placed knee strike. Villagers began to gather in order to witness the beating that was currently taking place, which happened to draw the attention of a certain redhead who just happened to be passing by.

"You do know this'll stop if you just give me back my locket. I swear I'll stop beating the living crap out of you if you do." He pleaded

"Screw you!" Tomoe shouted

"I don't condone rape, but I do condone beating the living shit out of you. Get ready, you thieving whore." He replied right before kicking the turquoise haired thief in the sternum and punching her in same section. The black haired stranger proceeded to take hold of her left arm and retrieve the locket. He let out a sigh right before he made one swift motion and two popping sounds were heard. He turned to walk away as he was putting on his locket until Mai made her way through the crowds.

"You fucker, what the hell was that for!"

"Shut up, you traitorous whore! I was nice enough not to do it to your right arm so you could still touch yourself at night! It's all the action you're going to-!" the inability to finish his sentence was caused by a well-timed slap by Mai.

"Mai-sama, what the fuck was that for?!"

"Nevan, you can't say those kinds of things in public! Don't you have any pride in yourself?!"

"Let me think on that one...HELL NO! All pride does is lead you to your downfall, you don't need it. It's absolute bullshit, useless baggage, you don't need it for anything." Nevan replied

Letting out a sigh Mai looked at the black haired teen and spoke "Nevan, what did the five fingers say to the face?"

"Slap?"

"Exactly." She chirped just as another slap hit its target

"Ow! What was that one for?"

"For spouting a bunch of nonsense. You have your locket back in your hands, there is no reason for you to subject her to any more of this. Just walk away from here, the proper authorities can take it from here."

"You should listen to Mai, it doesn't look like Tomoe will get anywhere with those injuries. You've done enough for now, just wait for us wherever you originally intended." Natsuki commented just as she was making her way through the crowds.

Nevan looked at the blue-haired Otome and sighed before speaking, "I guess the two of you have a point, it's not like she can get very far considering where we are at and the injury I gave her. I guess I'll get going for now, I'll be waiting for you and the others. He fixed his hat and turned to walk away while he was putting on his locket. "I'll let you know if there's a change in plans, otherwise Melissa can show you where I'm staying. Just drop by at whatever time is best for you and the others."

"You can expect us sometime tomorrow, I have some important business to attend to tonight." Natsuki answered

"Got it, I'll be expecting you then."

As they watched him walk off into the sunset, the redheaded woman turned to look at her longtime friend and crush. She could not help but inquire upon what the blue haired woman said, "What else do you have to do here, Natsuki?"

"I have something really important to discuss with you, Mai. That is I _need _to do here, could you please give me few moments."

"Not now, Natsuki. I still have to make dinner for Mikoto, how about we meet at the beach later." Mai answered, pointing at the aforementioned location.

"Sure, at what time do we meet?"

"You pick."

"We'll meet at midnight, that way we have a better chance of keeping our conversation a secret. I'm not really comfortable talking about this in front of everyone. There's also going to be a full moon tonight, I heard it was a beautiful sight from here." Natsuki answered

"Midnight it is, looks like it's also to assume that it's not work related. Should I wear something nice to impress the gorgeous principal or should it be nice and revealing?" Mai commented

'So you want to play a less than innocent game with me, Mai. Since it's you, I'll be more than happy to indulge.' Natsuki pondered as a smirk formed on her face.

"Make it casual, it's been a while since I saw you wearing something that isn't an Otome uniform. You could stand showing some skin especially since you're so beautiful."

"Thanks for the compliment. I'll bring something for us to eat, you bring the drinks and some blankets just in case."

"Sounds good."

"Looks like this is going to be one interesting night, Natsuki."

Natsuki gave out an uncharacteristic chuckle before nodding in agreement and turning to walk away, "Don't keep me waiting, Mai."

Mai giggled before responding, "Don't worry, I won't. I remember how lonely you can get, Natsuki."

The blue haired Otome gave no response.

* * *

**Five hours later...**

It was a starlit night with a full moon out as Natsuki walked down an empty road, carrying a set of blankets in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. With each step she took, her desire for various things relating to a certain redhead grew stronger. Wanting to not waste time any further, Natsuki quickened her pace. Not much time passed when she had finally reached her destination and a certain someone...

"You're late, Natsuki."

Natsuki turned to see Mai standing near the edge of the water holding a basket and a jar of mayonnaise. To the blue haired woman's delight, Mai was wearing dark red pants that semmed to accentuate her figure and a bright fuschia halter top along with red open-toed heels. Her eyes were still taking in the sight of the woman before her when she saw the redheaded woman tossing said jar in the air and catching it multiple times.

"You still remember?" Natsuki inquired

"Of course! You used to keep two boxes full of it under your bed at all times and you put it on most of the things you ate, why you never got fat from eating that much of it is beyond me." Mai answered

"You did keep me pretty...active, especially when we were pearls."

Mai's face showed a slight tinge of pink before she gave off a heavy sigh, "You did always keep coming back for more. So what was so important that you needed to talk to me alone this late at night?" Mai inquired

"You'll want to sit down and get a few drinks." Mai nodded in response before setting down the basket and taking the blanket out of Natsuki's hands. As soon as Mai's back was turned the blue haired woman slowly removed the cork, tilted her head backwards, and took a long swig from the bottle. Just as Natsuki lowered her head, a hand came out and snatched the bottle from her hands.

"Trying to drink it all by yourself, Natsuki? I thought you said I would need a few drinks." teased Mai just as her eyes skimmed the contents of the bottle. The redheaded woman's eyes suddenly darted upwards meeting Natsuki's before sighing, "You already went through more than a quarter of the bottle and you already look tipsy, how strong is this?

She let out a chuckle before taking Mai's hand and walking to where Mai had laid out the blankets. Letting herself fall to the ground, Natsuki took the buxom Otome along for their short descent to the beach sands seeing to it that the aforementioned Otome would fall on top of her. Reveling in the feeling of the other woman's chest pressing against hers, she nearly missed seeing Mai's hand reaching inside her coat and pulling out the letter. She lifted herself off of Natsuki's body, sat down beside her, and unfolded the letter. Upon skimming the first sentence of the letter, her body froze and her head was filled with countless thoughts along with countless scenarios.

'How in the world did Natsuki manage to get her hands on the letter?! It doesn't make any sense, Natsuki was nowhere near the Black Valley the last time Sara...! Arika or Sara must have picked up the letter when the three of them came down; I should have caught on when Mikoto told me she gave them something to deliver to Garderobe.

How am I going to explain this?!

No, how am I going to explain everything?!

Will Natsuki understand?!'

"Mai!"

"Mai!"

"Mai!" Natsuki repeated as she shook the other woman, desperately vying for a response of any sort. "Please say something, anything will do. Please say something!"

Mai lowered her head and her lips moved, but not a single word would come out. In an act of desperation she grabbed the bottle of wine, put it to her lips, and drank the remaining contents. Letting out a sigh, She turned facing the blue haired woman.

"Natsuki, did you read that letter?"

"Mai..."

"Answer me, Natsuki."

"I read everything that you wrote in the letter." Natsuki soon moved towards the redheaded woman and placed her hand on her shoulder.

As if it were a reflex, Mai sighed and brushed her hand away "Don't do this to me, Natsuki."

Immediately the blue haired Otome snaked her way around Mai and gazed into her lavender orbs. As if they were entranced their faces slowly drew closer to each other until their lips made contact and Mai wrapped her arms around the other woman just as she fell backward, taking the other woman with her...

When their lips parted, Mai seized the dominant position and cupped her fellow Otome's cheek. Reveling in the moment, she had nearly missed what Natsuki had asked.

"What was that?" Mai inquired

"Do you love me, Mai?" Natsuki questioned

"Do you even need to ask that question, Natsuki?" Mai answered

"Then take me, make me yours..." after those words were said Mai laid a passionate kiss as the night truly began...

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**A/N: Please read and review. Don't worry, it won't be one-sided for much longer...  
**

**Chapter End**


	3. A Maiden's Despair

**Chapter 3**

**A Maiden's Despair**

**A/N: Unfortunately most of this chapter is consists of a really huge dream sequence. (Then again, most of my chapters deviate from the original plan for the chapter XD) In a town that is supposed to be modeled after Mexico in the 1800s. How I am going to get ideas for the next two or three chapters, I'm going to figure out. Hopefully you enjoy this, as usual shoot me some reviews and ideas.**

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Legend: 

_GAAAAAR Dream, flashback_, etc.

'GAAAAAR' Thought

Seven hours earlier...

It was a shaded afternoon accompanied with a cloud filled sky obscuring the sun. A small boat skimmed across the surface of the clear ocean blue towards its destination as if in flight. The majority of the passengers gazing at the occasional marine animal in awe as a certain blue haired woman slept despite the loud roar of the engine and the occasional short hop that was common in their current mode of travel. Shizuru gazed at the face of a slumbering Natsuki, occasionally brushing away the occasional stray hair.

"Shizuru-san, who or what do you think Natsuki is dreaming about?" Sara inquired

"What are you are getting at Sara-san?"

"She's obviously still harboring feelings for Mai-onee sama."

"As long as she doesn't act on those feelings, I don't see a reason to do anything."

"You of all people should know that when it comes to Mai-onee sama, Natsuki-senpai tends to be unpredictable. Don't tell me you've forgotten about the time those two snuck out of Garderobe to sneak into a bar or the time the three of us decided to try pot because Natsuki-senpai happened to have found a bag of it laying around and suddenly wanted to experiment." Sara commented

"Ara, I didn't know about the latter. Tell me more..."

"Now this sounds like a good one. Why don't you fill us in..." Nao spoke

_**Teladro**_

_It was clear moonlit evening in a rural city with a sky filled with stars and the smell of bread wafting out of the numerous bakeries that inhabited the city. Various tables and stands occupied the city square strewn with lights. People were sharply dressed and gathered around the square, several of them bringing some sort of culinary concoction of their own. The sound of flamenco loudly sounding off from the stage in the middle of the square as many danced without a care in the world._

_One lone woman sat on an empty bench, idly looking into the stands. Sighing, she rose to her feet and dusted off her dress before stepping out of the shadows of the corner where the mentioned bench resided. Soon the feminine figure came into clear view to reveal herself as Natsuki Kruger...in a flamenco dress. The dress was of an azure color with short sleeves accompanied by a black body wrap tied at her waist, while frills beautifully decorated the ends of the sleeves along with the lower half of the dress, while the upper half of the dress was revealing on the shoulders, and completing the outfit was a blue rose held by her right ear with the usual pair of heels. Natsuki unfolded the fan she was currently holding before making her way to the stands._

_As Natsuki walked, she noticed that at least half the stands in this side of the square were meant for selling their wares. The blue haired smiled as a thought suddenly came into existence just as she took off running, scanning the various stands until a not-so familiar sight came into being and seemed to be arguing with a middle-aged man._

"_Comb your beard, I don't to hear this shit cabron!" Nevan shouted_

"_Nevan, you of all people should know that I don't sell drugs, I sell candy AND I do hair." Replied the middle aged man._

"_I know Abuelo, I know. It's just that I saw that this strange white powder in the back of your store a week ago, I wondered what it was..." _

"_That's powdered sugar!"_

_By this time, Natsuki was already at the unnamed stand in front of a store that Nevan and his Abuelo currently inhabited. She stood there, drumming her fingers on the counter as the two talked about nothing until a woman with medium long black hair and brown eyes approached Nevan. Deciding not to pay attention to their conversation, Natsuki looked away only to see that same woman was now right in front of her._

"_Looking for something, senorita?"_

_Natsuki looked up to see the same woman in front of her on the other side of the counter. Taking a more detailed look at her, the blue haired woman noticed she was wearing a black satin evening gown along with a pair of silver earrings and was currently holding a black fan. Reaching into one of her sleeves, Natsuki pulled out a piece of paper and unfolded it just before handing it to her._

"_It says here you have an order for a pair of platinum rings and various other items; I believe I finished the rings a few days before the festival. But I don't remember taking the order in person."_

"_That man over there took the order for you, saying something about helping out his family." Natsuki explained as she pointed towards Nevan._

"_That's my twin brother for you, always willing to help someone out in any way he can. Especially if they're women." She commented gesturing towards Nevan. "Do you mind waiting for a few minutes, I need to sort out the items on your order list to make sure everything is finished." _

"_Sure, I don't mind. But could you get that brother of yours over here, I have some important matters to discuss with him."_

"_I don't mind, I'll tell him on my way over there." As she turned to walk away, Natsuki's eyes carefully scanned her slim figure. Suddenly, her field of vision was obstructed by someone's hand._

"_Natsuki, don't you dare get any ideas about my sister! You already have Mai-sama and Shizuru-chan on your plate, don't you think that's enough!?" Nevan chided._

"_Nevan, how did you get here so quickly!? I thought you were still talking to that person you were with earlier?" _

"_If you weren't so busy drooling at the sight of my sister after talking to her, you would have noticed that he already left! So besides meeting my sister and staring at her lustfully; do you have any other business here?" He inquired_

_The blue haired woman sighed in response,"I came to see if everything I requested from you was ready. Wait, didn't your sister tell you what she was doing?"_

"_No, the only thing she told me was the fact you had something to discuss with me. Is there anything wrong?" Nevan replied a with puzzled look on his face_

"_She was going to make sure everything on the list was completed." _

_Nevan stroked his chin as he spoke, "I know for a fact that the dress was completed early this week, my sister finished the rings this morning, the tea set I made you came out of the kiln this afternoon, but the last item I'm not so sure about..."_

"_You said the dress was finished early this week, where is it?", The Otome replied, showing the same puzzled look on her face._

"_My mom custom made your dress; don't you see what you're wearing."_

"_That would explain Melissa leaving the dress in my hotel room the other day. Speaking of her, I haven't seen her anywhere since yesterday. Do you happen to know where she's been or what happened to her, by any chance?"_

"_Oh, my mom gave her the day off for some reason I really can't remember. She's probably been sleeping most of the day or partying, if I still know her well."_

"_Most likely the latter in this case, since it is a festival." She commented_

"_True."_

_Suddenly the black haired teen felt a finger make several light taps on his shoulder. Quickly turning around, his twin sister came into view._

"_Nevan, do you remember where you put the tea set? I can't seem find it anywhere." She asked_

"_Don't worry about it right now, Miriam. I believe she has more urgent matters to attend to at this point." He answered _

"_Like what, if you don't mind my asking.", Natsuki spoke, cutting into the conversation._

"_Mai-sama came here looking for you earlier; saying that she really needed to see you. We can leave this for another time; just get out there and go find her before I make you do so." Nevan stated _

"_Nevan, you don't need to say it like that!", Miriam shouted before lightly punching his arm. "But like he says, we can leave this for another time. Just go find Mai-sama and give it to her, if you were meaning to do so in the first place." Miriam placed two small cases on the counter. The two cases were covered in crimson velvet, both sharing the same appearance in every sense._

_With a quick nod, Natsuki took both cases and turned to leave before she turned her attention to Miriam once more._

"_Would Mai happened to have told either of you where she would be waiting for me, by any chance?" She inquired _

"_Mai-sama said she would be waiting for you at the bridge close to her house, now go before you make her angry." Miriam replied_

_With another nod, the blue haired woman sprinted her way out of the square..._

_**Teladro: Residential Area**_

_The sound of running water was the only thing that seemed to break the silence of the dimly lit street. Mai stood at the bridge nearby, quietly gazing into the river as the moonlight illuminated the surface of the water. She currently wore a dark crimson evening gown which seemed to accentuate her breasts along with a slit along the portion of the right leg ending at her thigh. Adorning her hair was a silver hairpin decorated with numerous sapphires only seeming to add to her radiance. Turning towards a familiar direction, the redheaded woman started to make her way towards her house. Maintaing a slow pace, she noticed the sound of footsteps other than her own. On a more detailed note, the pacing of the other person's footsteps was noticeably quicker and became louder with each step. Wanting to waste no time, she sped up to a light sprint as she started to round the corner before colliding with the currently unknown individual. _

"_Oww, that wasn't what I was expecting. Are you hurt in any way?" _

"_Mai?" _

"_Natsuki?" _

"_It's me, I just never expected to run into you here at night." Natsuki replied as she rose to her feet_

"_That was bad, Natsuki." Mai giggled, "I was beginning to think that you were still in the square, not knowing that I was waiting for you all this time. You should have known that I wasn't going to the town square tonight." _

"_I'm sorry for keeping you waiting like this, but I just had to check up on a few things before meeting you." she explained_

"_It's fine Natsuki, you still came here and that's the only thing that matters right now. Let's head to my house, I'm starting to get a little chilly."_

"_I don't blame you for wanting to, Mai. Again, I'm sorry."_

"_I said you don't need to apologize for this, Natsuki. Now come on, we're practically there..." _

_As the two rounded the corner, Natsuki quickly patted down the wrap which happened to be currently tied at her waist until feeling a small case at her side. Relieved that her newest possession was still within her reach, she could not help but smile. Something that did not go unnoticed by the other woman..._

"_What's making you so happy all of a sudden, Natsuki?" inquired the redheaded woman_

"_You'll find out soon enough..." she commented_

"_Especially since I just noticed the fact that we are about to pass my house." Mai retorted as her movements came to a halt, "Come on, the door should still be open." The other woman followed suit as she took the opportunity to slip on a platinum ring ..._

_As Mai had stated earlier, the door was indeed unlocked as the two made their way inside. Once they were on the other side of the door, the sound of the door closing along with several locks being applied filled the room. While Natsuki stood near the wall a silhouette of the other woman drew closer and closer until her hand darted out and brushed against Natsuki's shoulder as she moved to flick the light switch. The other woman stood frozen against the wall with a noticeable tint of red on her face as Mai's other hand slowly traveled along her right side, the redheaded woman taking as much time as she desired. Just as Natsuki had gathered her voice, Mai plucked the case from her waist and quickly flicked it open. The redhead's eyes were fixed on the platinum ring currently inhabiting the case, thoughts and assumptions swirled in her mind as if a tempest had formed in her head. Meeting the eyes of the other woman once again, she found no clear answer..._

"_Natsuki, who is this for?" She asked worriedly._

"_You." Natsuki quickly answered_

"_It can't be, you're lying. This has to be some kind of joke, no matter how it seems...", Mai answering in disbelief_

"_Mai, please believe me when I say that it's not a cruel joke of any kind. I'm as serious as I was when the two of us fled from the lives we had as Otome and started anew; away from everyone. The moment I had and took the chance to nullify your contract, I resigned altogether and fled with you. The only thing I would gain from this kind of deception is nothing but despair. We gave up everything to get to where we are now!" Natsuki pleaded_

"_You are being honest with me!?"_

_Natsuki answered with a simple nod._

"_This is the reason why you were late!?"_

_Another nod took the place of a spoken reply._

"_Is this ring really for...!? Are you really asking me to...!?" _

"_It...!" Before Natsuki could even attempt to make a complete answer; Mai's lips met hers as if to make one last attempt to halt the inevitable anguish that would follow. Slowly the two broke away, leaving both their faces merely inches apart from each other. _

"_Mai?"_

_Putting a finger on Natsuki's lips she spoke, "Let's skip the proposal and jump right into the bridal shower after I answer: "Yes, I will marry you Natsuki Kruger"." Mai whispered in a seductive tone as they both silently came to tears._

"_But everyone is..." She interrupted_

"_Silly Natsuki, there is more than one way to have a bridal shower. If you would kindly follow me upstairs, I'll show you a more literal way to do so. With just the two of us..."_

Two and a half hours later...

Melissa was the only left on the boat as she quietly watched her fellow Otome walk towards the village with the exception of a certain blue haired woman. The aforementioned Otome was still sound asleep to Melissa's dismay. Seeing no alternative, she picked up her pool stick nearby and checked for any abnormalites. Once she was satisfied, the violet haired woman began to lightly poke Natsuki with the stick repeatedly.

"Mai, I don't want to get up. Please just five more minutes, I'll do anything you want later."

Her face turning red, she twirled her pool stick and got into a stance. Taking aim at Natsuki in a familiar manner she softly declared: Natsuki ball, right pocket." Taking the proverbial shot, she jabbed the other woman with the stick; effectively forcing her out of slumber.

"Melissa, what the hell was that for?!"She shouted

"Principal, we're here. I've been here for the past half hour trying to wake you up while the others went off." Melissa replied bluntly

**Black Valley (Present time)**

It was a tranquil cloud filled night without a single soul in sight, an Otome commonly known among her closest peers as Shizuru was taking a stroll through one of the main streets where she had conveniently been on the same path without letting out any evidence of her looming presence before losing sight (more like the unsuccessful stalking) of a certain dark blue haired woman. As Shizuru neared the beach, a pair of silhouettes of in close contact caught her eye. Her curiosity getting the better of her, slowly she skulked her way towards the beach. With each step forward, the sound of soft moans and short breaths became clearer. Feelings of anticipation and mental images serving as further incentive as she watched from behind a rock at a considerably reasonable distance. Time passed as she watched the two figures express love in it's most primal form under a veil of shadows. Watching the two intently, Shizuru noticed that the clouds were slowly beginning to disperse as the beach sands gradually became the center of illumination slowly revealing the two figures much to her delight or so she thought...

"Mai, I don't ever want this night to end." a familiar voice spoke much to Shizuru's despair

"I don't either, Natsuki. But it's a little early for you to say that, especially since you don't know what I'm about to do to you..." Mai whispered

"Mai!"

Shizuru felt her heart shatter at the devastating sight before her; not wanting to subject herself any further anguish, she turned and ran with no end in sight...

"So, this is why..."

**Black Valley: Violet Crow Hotel**

Nevan stood near the front door of the establishment smoking from his pipe, looking at nothing in particular with a neutral look on his face. Taking a drag from his pipe

"Shizuru is taking quite a while in coming back, maybe I should...no. I wouldn't be able to do anything productive even if she was in a bind, I'll just stay put and smoke." he said to himself. To pass the time, the long haired teen closed his eyes and started rhythmically tap his foot on the ground and sing...

"_Feeling lonely and confused_

_He said 'you better lie down cause the angels are watching'_

_She closed her eyes and said quit the talking_

_you can hurt me, do whatever you like"_

"_So he said shut your mouth girl the angels are listening_

_She crossed herself now the moments are missing_

_you can hurt me do whatever you like"_

"What angels? Why would I want to hurt you at all when I...?"

Nevan opened his eyes to find a teary eyed Shizuru, "Aneki, what happened!? Do you feel like talking about it?"

"If you promise not to get angry and chase others."

"Is it that bad, Aneki?" He asked worriedly as walked up to her

"I'm afraid so..."

"All right, I promise not to do anything stupid. But let's go inside and get you something to eat, Aneki." He answered with an unmistakably reluctant tone.

"Another thing, Nevan you've been smoking pot haven't you?" Inquired the blonde

"Yes, but I just ran out. But I have more interesting items at this time as you've seen, including a few I haven't shown."

"I'll leave this little talk for tomorrow, let's go inside. I want to see for myself if you really will keep your word..."

**End**

**Trans: (Espanol) Teladro / Drill (English)  
**

**A/N: I have a desperate need of ideas as you can see by the last few sentences XP. Any thoughts, ideas, constructive criticism, etc. please let me know. I am still in need of a beta, contact me by any means please! Writing this chapter was an absolute bitch in the sense that I ran out of ideas halfway and it was kicking the crap out of me for the last few months. How I'm going to get ideas for the next chapter, I really don't know. This chapter didn't turn out exactly the way I wanted it to, hopefully I can get finally get some development going next chapter. I hope to finish it soon, but when someone waves Digital Devil Saga, Chrono Trigger, FFIV, ToA, Rogue Galaxy, and Guilty Gear XX Accent Core in your face (not all at once XP) ... yeeeeah. Sorry for the disappointing chapter  
**


	4. Hazed Night

**Distant Lover**

**Act Four**

(A/N: Life got in my way as did lack of ideas, motivation, RO, video games, and two requests for fics. Now my original intention for how this particular fic ends is not possible, but I found another "ending" which will happen next chapter. Can't believe a year passed between updates, it blows. I don't know about this claim but I think I can say that I'm the first person write anything remotely MaixShizuru XP. Well, enjoy this not so good chapter)

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Natsuki reclined in the bathtub with a saddened expression on her face, idly staring into space. Only feeling the coldness of the bathwater, she sighed as she slowly made her way out of the tub and wrapped a towel around herself.

"_I've really put myself into quite a situation. If Shizuru ever finds out about the two of us, I can't begin to imagine what will happen. I need to keep this from her until I figure out what to do with those two..._

_But why did Mai have to wait so long to admit something like this; if only I had known what was happening, I would have done anything for her! Why did she have to run?! We could have...."_

The door opened, breaking her train of thought. She turned to see Nao letting herself into the bathroom, wearing nothing but a towel. The blue haired woman hastily made her way out of the bathroom. Nao sighed to herself as she closed the door.

Sitting in the bar, Shizuru held a drink in her hand gazing at Mai from across the room with her eyes half-closed. Taking another look at the busty Otome, Shizuru could see the redhead holding a tall glass filled with a drink of a turquoise color. A barely noticable smirk formed on Shizuru's face as she watched Mai slowly drink the contents of the glass in one tilt before setting it down on the table. Seeing a crimson tinge painting the Princess' cheeks, the red-eyed woman rose from her seat with her drink in hand.

Seeing Shizuru walk towards her direction, the fiery haired Otome kindly pulled out a chair before setting her hands on the table and sighing to herself. Sitting down, Shizuru looked at her with a kind smile. Simply staring into her empty glass, she mumbled something to herself that was barely heard by the other woman.

"What was that, Mai?" Shizuru asked

Sighing to herself, the eyes of the two met before she felt the alcohol affect her even further......

"If only I had known about you two, I wouldn't feel as horrible as I'm feeling right now. Why did Mikoto have Arika-san give that letter to Natsuki."

Shizuru slowly put her hand over Mai's and downed some of the contents of her glass before meeting her eyes once more.

"What letter?"

"It was something I wrote to gather my thoughts and feelings about certain things, I've thought about sending it to her, but I decided to not to do it. If only I hadn't....."

"What was in the letter, Mai-han?"

"Just know I was never going to send that letter, let alone have it fall into Natsuki's hands.", bracing herself for the worst; she continued, "In that letter, I wrote my reasons for running away at graduation."

"Does Natsuki have the letter?" Shizuru inquired

"I let her keep it after we met last night."

"I'm sure you two did a lot more than talk, that night......"

"You were there, weren't you?" she inquired

Shizuru sighed as she moved her chair closer to Mai's whispering the words "What would you do if I told you I was?" into her ear.

Her lips showing an uncharacterstic smirk before she put her hand over Shizuru's and mimicked the other woman's actions, "The real question would be, what would you want me to do?"

"Ara, with an answer like that; I'd be at a loss for words. I could figure something out if you're willing to come with me for a bit."

"I'm sure you could. In fact, I'm counting on you to do just that, don't disappoint." Mai whispered in a seductive voice

Quickly finishing her drink, the light haired woman rose from her seat before grabbing her fellow Otome's hand and pulling her along to a destination partially unknown to Mai. Assured that she was in front of the door that matched the one in a brief memory even in their inebriated state; Shizuru pulled out a key and clumsily inserted it into the doorknob before leading Mai inside. Closing the door behind her, Mai felt herself being pinned against the door in the now pitch black room she was in. Feeling a hand caress her face, the pace of her breath quickened as the lights in the room slowly illuminated the room enough for her to see the seemingly hungry look on Shizuru's face.

"What is it about you that made Natsuki come running back to you, after what you put her through that day. Because you disappeared that day, we had to make sure she slept for nearly a year; otherwise she would stay awake for days on end thinking that you were still in Windbloom and she might have some small chance to catch a glimpse of your face. Do you have any idea how hurt she was?" Shizuru whispered while gradually undoing Mai's uniform.

Mai felt the figurative lump in her throat and was at a loss for any sort of response to what Shizuru had just said.

"And still, you talk of keeping what you still felt for her to yourself. Most people would say that it isn't a good idea in the slightest. I wouldn't be any different when it comes to these kind of things. There was always that part of her that wished to relive the days she had with you, she never told me but I could always tell when she was thinking of those times."

"_I never knew..._"

"I still remember the look she had on her face when she told me that she had unexpectedly found you in the Black Valley three years ago, aside from the look she had when she read that letter." The light blonde spoke as Mai's uniform slid down her body and made a light impact with the carpeted floor. Pleased with what she saw, her lips quickly crashed into the other woman's while the hand that caressed Mai's skin went to clumsily disrobing herself. Pushed away by the other Otome, she stood there puzzled about to open her mouth to speak before feeling those same pair of lips touch hers. Brushing her tongue along the lips of the violet clad Otome, a slight parting allowed the two tongues to mesh for dominance. In an uncharacteristic manner, Mai slowly led Shizuru to the bed behind her, their lips never parting along the way. Tumbling onto the mattress, the red-headed woman gripped and tore the other woman's dress and anything else she may have worn on her chest, exposing her breasts to the one on top.

"You're lucky it wasn't the only set I brought." Shizuru whispered

Mai returned to her ministrations in the form of lightly nibbling and sucking Shizuru's earlobe. Taking note of her delightful reactions, she concluded that Shizuru ears were quite sensitive; which only added to her excitement. Mai left a trail of kisses along her neck at an achingly slow pace before the redhead put her lips to one of Shizuru's breasts.

Feeling Mai's tongue swirling over the sensitive flesh and a featherlight touch making it's way to the lower regions of her body, Shizuru and unconciously planted her left hand on the back of the other woman's head as if she were to be taken away at any given moment. Tearing away her panties and throwing them off to the side, the girl on top continued her ministrations just before....

"_I never imagined that Mai-han could actually take lead. No wonder she couldn't....."_

The inability to resist the urge to let out a loud gasp of pleasure interrupted her thoughts; unable to think in by standards deemed coherent. Slumber prematurely claiming Shizuru, Mai gave a disappointed sigh. Not hearing the door open, Mai remained oblivious to the presence of another....

"And here I thought you could hold your liquor...." Mai scoffed

"You two just had to make things worse, didn't you Onee-sama. What will you do if Natsuki onee-sama finds out about this. She may brush it off seeing as she did the same thing to Shizuru-senpai the night before, adding that she was completely sober."

Quickly turning around to see Sara standing in front of her, she quickly scrambled to the pile of clothes known as her uniform before dressing herself in what could only be described as a flash. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Mai stared into the eyes of the blonde.

"How do you know about that, Sara-san!?" She asked with a serious tone

Sara chuckled "Onee-sama, everyone with the exception of Shizuru already expected this would happen since before we even set foot on the Black Valley. When we saw the look on Shizuru's face when she came back that night, it just meant that we were proven right."

"Only you and Shizuru know of my history with Natsuki, it doesn't qualify as 'everyone'." Mai deadpanned

"Well, it made for good entertainment for the boat ride. Long story short, the others agreed with me when I assumed that Natsuki-senpai still had feelings for you. Not to mention I managed to read that letter you wrote behind your back the last time I was here."

"Sara, how much did you tell them? Assuming you actually kept it secret." She spoke with an undertone of aggravation

"Not too much, just enough to give them a reason to believe that you're the only reason Natsuki came in the first place. I told them nothing about the letter or the time when the two of you did something very _special_ for my birthday after I had a terrible month." Sara replied nervously

The two stared at the floor with a deep blush on each of their faces.

"What do they think, Sara? That is, if you actually kept it secret." Mai whispered breaking the silence

"I just told them we smoked pot after Natsuki-senpai found a bag of it laying around." The blond replied while resisting the urge to giggle. Anyway, you should get going before Natsuki-senpai comes back.

Mai nodded as she got up to leave, she turned her head looking back at a nude Shizuru.

"I'll take care of this, just go!"

Having no desire to press her luck, Mai let herself out of the room as Sara began to gather any and all indication of what had transpired before doing away with anything that would seem incriminating...

**Next morning**

Natsuki awoke to the sight of a room slightly foreign to her, seeing a sleeping Melissa occupying the floor; she slowly crept out of the bed gathering her familiar clothes. Slowly dressing herself, she eyed a familiar pool cue leaning against a dresser and remembered the sharp jab she had been subjected to earlier. Putting on the dress portion of her uniform, Natsuki walked over to the pool cue and picked it up. Running her fingers along the engraving at the base of the cue, she felt a tight grip on her shoulder. Slowly turning her head to the side, the eyes of an obviously infuriated Melissa stared right at her.

"What do you think you're doing with that?"

Ignoring her question, Natsuki casually shoved her away and set the cue back to where it previously was before heading towards the open door and closing it behind her. Her face soon met with a stream of pipe smoke, fanning away the smoke as she heard a familiar voice

"Turn around, open the door, let's discuss a few things......"

**Mai's house**

Mikoto slowly walked over to where Mai was at uttering one particular phrase

"Mai, I don't feel so good......"

**END**

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**(A/N:**Expect me to bullshit my way out of this one :(. I'm still very low on ideas , not to mention I have a slight idea for a MaixNat one shot.......)


	5. Queen of Hearts

Here it is, guys. The final chapter, I just hope it doesn't fail in terms of anything. It's not the ending I originally planned to have, but this is incredibly close to it (and less complicated most likely). I'm definitely glad that it didn't take as long as last chapter, especially since I write in a way that could probably described as "on the fly".

I really don't know whether to call Mai's circular bar looking stand a "stand" or something else, strange.

I don't own Mai Otome

* * *

**Distant Lover**

**Final Chapter**

Mai stood in front of Mikoto, currently vomiting violently on the kitchen floor. Wondering what was going on, Mai worriedly looked around for the cause until she saw an empty bottle of wine roll into the room. Snapping back into an awareness of the current situation, Mai put a bucket in front of the cat god for her to use. After what seemed to be hours upon hours of waiting, Mikoto's heaving finally subsided and she was sleeping soundly in her bedroom. Currently Mai was mopping the floor in a listless manner before she noticed a red glimmer coming from the repulsing fluid. Picking it up, a silent gasp emitted from her mouth before realizing the object was still covered in vomit. Rushing over to the sink, she gave the small object a quick rinse before confirming her suspicions about the now shiny object. A look of absolute surprise graced her face as she looked at a ring she once thought to be lost forever: the other half of the set of the Fire Stirring Ruby. Not wanting to lose it again, Mai quickly went to her room...

Natsuki, Nevan, and Melissa all sat at a table as a thin layer of tobacco smoke collected at the ceiling and an odd silence enveloped the room. The three each made unique attempts to spark conversation only to fail and remain quiet for an indefinite time. As Nevan packed another batch of tobacco into his lengthy pipe, his hand dug into his pocket to pull out a necklace seemingly similar to the one Arika had worn on her initial arrival to Windbloom. Melissa snatched the necklace from his hands in an instant and gazed at it with her mouth slightly open. Snapping his fingers in front of the violet haired girl, she gave no response. With a roll of the eyes and a large drag from his pipe, he blew smoke right at her face before receiving a well timed punch to the face with a now aggravated Melissa. Seeing no indication of any sort of agony being shown from the pipe smoking teen, she grew frustrated.

"What are you, a masochist!?"

His lips slowly forming a small smirk as he let out a very cocksure chuckle in front of the two, "So many people have asked me that, it's lost all meaning!"

"I'll give you a....!"

"Is this what I think it is?" Natsuki asked cutting in

"Yeah, it's the Ricocheting Spinel. Last seen in a graveyard in Artai 40 years ago before being stolen by graverobbers thought to have originated from Zipang. Yeah, more like thieves from Aries stealing from an orphanage in Zipang."

"How did you find this out!?" Melissa yelled

"Meh, I'm just guessing although the orphanage part is quite true. Nobody knows where they were really from but it did take place in Zipang. Apparently one of the caretakers there was the owner of the gem."

"Again, how the hell did you find this out?"

"Whored myself, I had no problem since she was such a lovely one." Nevan chirped while holding up a finger before having ashes thrown at him. "The hell's your problem!?"

"Don't you have any shame admitting to that!?"

"Don't really know, to be honest." He muttered in a depressed tone. "Here I go bringing something I could have sold to put myself deeper in retirement, but noooooooo I didn't want people to die from being stupid with the GEM and all I get is tobacco ash to the face. What's next, a syringe full of psychotropic drugs, or maybe a hallucinogen, or if I'm lucky painkillers."

"I get it, I get it; but is that all you wanted us here for or is there something else."

"Yeah, I'm thinking about giving this up for a while, along with the pot. Giving up the pot is guaranteed, though."

Melissa's head instantly shot up with a joyful look on her face upon hearing the concept of her friend actually considering giving up his drug habit.

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Natsuki asked sternly

"What I mean is, since I nearly got my arm sliced off by a crazy bitch, nearly became the victim of police brutality, then I had to deal with the Aries mob just because of a misunderstanding, I'm going into temporary retirement. Especially since I own this hotel now and because I need to see if those cops need to meet with an accident."

"You own what now!?" Melissa interrupted

"The hotel we're currently standing in, I won it in a came of craps." Nevan stated matter of factly "All I can say is she's really rich and she really loves to gamble."

"But honestly, you really retire for good so I can stop worrying about my nightmare coming true. I don't want to first thing I see when I wake up be your head on a silver platter."

"Melissa..."

Sara and Natsuki sat on the stools of Mai's currently empty stand idly staring into the distance with bored looks on their faces. Sighing to herself, Natsuki slowly moved her hand across the counter to only to have it smacked away by Sara.

"Natsuki-onee sama, are you really that bored?" Sara chided

"I just wanted some water, I haven't had anything to drink since I got out of bed." She replied before walking over to the other side of the counter and kneeled down attempting to look for any sort of liquid. Finding a bottle of water, she stood up only to see Mai greeting Sara.

"Did you do this because it's mine or do you do this to every stand you see." Mai remarked

"Don't flatter yourself, Tokiha."

"My, my, Natsuki-onee sama. What's with the formality, haven't you two gotten in each other's pants yet." said the blonde only to be met with a backhanded slap from Mai

"Thanks for that, but why did you want to see us? Especially since we're about to leave."

Mai pulled out a jewelry box from her uniform and placed it in Natsuki's palm.

"I think you'll want this back in the hands of Garderobe."

"But this is...!"

**Five months later....**

Natsuki sat at the bench in front of Mai's house, gazing at the silver ruby adorned wedding ring she currently wore. Giving off a light sigh, she rose to her feet gazing towards the front door of Mai's house with an impatient look on her face. Deciding she had enough, she stormed her way to the front door only to have it open; revealing Mai in an elegant ivory white wedding dress.

"I thought I wasn't supposed to the see the bride before the wedding?" Natsuki quipped

"Most people propose to their lover in person, not though a letter." Mai retorted "Although the pictures you sent definitely made up for it."

"Maybe you could do the same for me later..."

"Isn't a honeymoon enough for you, Natsuki. You'll get to look at me all you want then." said the redheaded Otome

"Don't give me that, Mai. I just meant that I wanted a few wedding photos." Natsuki huffed "If you'll excuse me, I need to get dressed."

Natsuki turned away and walked into their house...

**Hours later...**

A full moon shone in the cloudy night sky as a fully nude Mai sat in a bathtub gazing at her wedding ring adorned with a gem not unlike Natsuki's. Accompanied by the sound of splashing water, the redheaded Otome felt a pair of drenched arms wrap around her bust.

"How long are you going to look at that ring, Mai? Last I checked you married me, not my master ring." spoke an equally nude Natsuki

"Natsuki, give me some time to take all this in. A lot happened these last five months, all of this seems too good to be true. "

"Well, make it quick; we have a lot of time to catch up on and I don't want to waste a minute of our honeymoon. Not that this alone wasn't worth forfeiting my position as Gakuenchou, but we should make the most of this honeymoon."

With an agreeing nod, Mai leaned into her wife's embrace draping an arm over the back of the blunette's neck as if to invite her to once again taste the slightly tanned flesh of what is now hers. Giving out a sigh of contentment, she slowly shifted around until she was on top in a straddling position.

"It's such a relief that I don't have that nightmare anymore, especially since it has no chance of coming true anymore." Mai spoke as she cupped her wife's cheek "You don't have to worry about me running away this time."

Natsuki winced at her last sentence before making her reply, "Just thinking about that dream is just painful, any sane Otome would need mental help after experiencing that terror repeatedly."

"A suicide pact between two Otome in love was never a glorious or romantic thing, anata. Both of them decieving their master just to spare themselves from fighting each other in a war they never car-."

Silencing her with a intense kiss, Natsuki's hands cupped her bust; kneading them beneath the gentleness of her hands. Slowly emerging from it's refuge, Mai's tongue slipped between the former principal's lips. Tongues writhing and heavily grazing each other as they slowly lost themselves, the blunette abruptly pulled away before lightly kissing her way down the neck and planting her lips the on the nipple of her most beloved. Moans and gasps permeated the silence enveloping the room as she felt her wife's ministrations...

The two laid beside each other in bed, naked and spent from their lovemaking. Gazing into her violet orbs, she gave an uncharacteristic giggle.

"What's so funny?" Mai asked

"I always did say that I would treat you with the delicacy of a Queen." replied the former principal

"That was bad, anata."

"You technically are a Queen. Gladly making me your wife, your Queen, and your Otome."

"Well then, Queen and Otome of my heart. Please stay with me forever." said Mai

"It'd be my greatest pleasure, my dearest Queen and Otome..."

* * *

**Epilogue**

Shizuru stood out in the balcony gazing at the seemingly endless sunset with an indifferent look on her face. Hearing a knock on the glass balcony door she turned her head to find Nao standing in the doorway.

"Sorry Shizuru, but I couldn't stall them anymore. They kept saying that it was important." said the scarlet haired Otome

"Well, let's go see what Arika and Nina want."

"Right this way, Gakuenchou."

"_I'll never get used to being called that at this rate. At least there's still a possibility of a threesome, but it's still a bit of a shame. Oh well, good luck you two; I won't leave the both of you waiting for too long_..."

* * *

**END**


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